Charlie

When we first met nine year old Charlie, he struggled with his sense of self-worth and found it hard to open up. A few weeks later, we saw a new confident Charlie, able to identify and share his feelings, and even encourage others to do the same.

Charlie was referred to our Mentoring Programme by school staff, who were concerned about his social and emotional wellbeing. From the outset, Charlie appeared disengaged and reluctant to participate. He found it difficult to talk about his feelings, and it was clear that expressing emotions was not something he felt comfortable with. Like many boys his age, Charlie had internalised the message that emotions should be hidden—not shared.
In our third session, which explored positive and negative self-talk, Charlie shared some of the unkind thoughts he had about himself—including a sense of not being good enough and even hinted at the impact of negative experiences such as bullying outside the group.

As he grew in confidence, we saw Charlie begin to really blossom. It became more common for him to arrive at the group with a smile and eager to take part. It felt like he had really started to feel that he belonged.

By the final session, Charlie said, “Being part of this would really help someone who was getting bullied… they can come here and feel better.”

It was great to see how much the group had come to be a safe space for him—a place where he felt seen, supported, and free to be himself. That safety had allowed him to open up, share his experiences, and start to find his confidence.

For Charlie, learning to express and explore his emotions was a real turning point. Our Mentoring Group helped him see that talking about your feelings isn’t a weakness, but a strength. One that he now carries with him.